Woodford Glen, Canterbury Championship - 28 Jan 2017
Tonight it was just Pam and I heading out to the Glen and this time for the Canterbury Super Saloon Championships.
As soon as I looked at the track I reminded Trevor Elliott how we both nearly broke the lap record around this time last season when the track conditions appeared identical.
I guess that just put me in a good mindset too cos on track for our first heat I passed several cars to advance from seventh to third. It’s not often I get to pass Ray & Richie so it was a good feeling to have 811 moving forward thru the pack. On the last lap Trevor managed to snatch third place from me but still wrapt with 4th in the classy thirteen car field.
The format was two more heat races to decide grids for the 20 lap championship deciding feature.
After suggesting he put on one of our team shirts, we were privileged to have Adam from the BRT crew join us tonight and he got stuck into making necessary setup changes to the car.
Heat two had 811 leaving from the front row on grid one. The track had definitely changed but still looked favourable for us. The changes we made to the car felt good, I felt confident however I lost the start due to not wanting to get caught out for jumping early by the officials. I just haven’t had many front row starts recently and it seems I just gotta get going and launch quicker without worrying about the grid two car so much. Although I dropped back to third earlier in the race it wasn’t long before I was dicing with Ian Burson for the lead. Now this is new territory for myself and 811 as well, I fought a good battle and even passed Ian to gain the lead. Just when it looked like 811 was heading for a win, a late caution and re-start gave both Ian and Trevor the opportunity to press through on the last lap. Still stoked to be up near the front and I’ll take that heats third place thanks and I was very pleased with how Adam and I had virtually nailed the setup on that one.
Last heat had us leaving from the rear of the field thirteenth on the grid. Mid race Campbell McManaway and I had a nose to tail when he braked hard mid-turn to avoid another car. This resulted in a puncture for Campbell and re-arranged front bodywork on 811 but for a change, no mechanical damage which saw us continue in the race. I managed to make a few passes and the result was a credible 8th.
After the points tally 811 was currently 5th overall so grid five it was for the 20 lap feature. Now these one feature race deals to decide championships have never favoured us in the past but having said that I’m normally starting further back in the grid and had we only done the three heat championship format, 5th overall in the champs is all we would have got anyhow.
So Adam & I set about getting the car right for a slick track and I decided to drive the low line as straight and fast as possible. We battled away just behind the leaders and although I passed Richie earlier on and then Ian it looked like we would have to settle for 4th overall. At this stage Trevor was leading, Richie was 2nd after getting by me again and Gavin Hill was running 3rd. I struggled to keep in touch at times but was happy to find out afterwards that there was daylight behind me as well without any serious challengers. Now this is all new territory especially in recent times but I will definitely take it. Glen, Steve, Ian, Casey, Pam, we have all worked bloody hard on 811 often for very little reward other than the fun and to participate. So on the last corner of the last lap when Gavin spun and I shot through to grab 3rd place podium in the Canterbury Championship it was a very deserving reward for the whole team. Disappointing somewhat for Gavin I’m sure but very encouraging for myself after so much effort to keep 811 reliable and on track.
It’s also very humbling to have the likes of Dennis Bolt, Richie, Ian etc congratulating us on the result and I’m sure it’s welcome reward for the many businesses who support our racing too so I can’t thank them enough.
Where to from here? It’s rounds 3 & 4 of the Vertex Super Cup this weekend at Central Motor Speedway in Cromwell. Pam, Casey and Adam are all “keen as” so hopefully we can try that little bit harder and not be Tailend Charlie down there.

Riverside Speedway Invercargill - NZ Super Saloon Grand Prix, 14 Jan 2017
From one end of the country to the other and all in pursuit of my racing addiction.
Just a quick write-up this one:
I flew into Invercargill to catch up with Paul & Connor who had 811 all ready for action. Around 20 cars fronted for this one with still many of the top cars in the country contending the NZ GP. 811 went okay and I drove conservatively really. Had another great dice with Mark Grocott during the heats too. The feature was really dusty but I was stoked to come home 8th overall for my best finish in a NZ event.
Gotta thank Paul & Connor for all the help and X Factor Cars for their support. Awesome!

Xmas 2016 - New Year 2017
Wow ... 9 race meetings in 13 days starting with Saloon Speedweek in Stratford and ending with the NZ Champs in Cromwell. Thats a whole lotta racing and an absolute buzz :)
We completed the first 3 rounds of the Speedweek and had to park up 222 due to an engine issue but we carried onto the remaining rounds in support. Gotta thank Steve and Rachel from G.A.S. Lewis Pass, Rob, Debbie, Mike and team from Autopro Glenfield, Ian, Andrew and Casey. It was full on and a great experience.
Then 1st January had Casey & I fly south to catch up with Pam and 811 to race New Years Day in Cromwell then a few days later compete in the NZ Super Saloon Champs.
We are struggling for outright speed but 811 finished the first 3 days of racing this year without any dnf's and apart from tearing the new brake mounting off the diff the car remains unscathed. I need to redesign that brake mounting again though grrr. Had the pleasure of Paul & Crazy from team 21t helping Ian & Casey with crew duties so they soon had the brake issue sorted so we could carry on in the champs.
Congratulations to Pete Dickson, Richie Taylor & Shane McIntyre for thei podiums in the championship.
Also gotta thank Graham & Kate from X Factor Cars for having us stay again.
Next meeting for 811 is the NZ GP in Invercargill on 14th Jan. See ya's there.
Cheers ... Flash.

Waikaraka Park Speedway Auckland - Xmas Special 17 Dec 2016
On Friday Steve and I flew up to Auckland and headed out to the Autopro workshop in Glenfield. We wanted to get the G.A.S. Lewis Pass 222 Monaro ready for a shake-down at Waikaraka Park Speedway on the Saturday night. We fitted up some new tyres, made some alterations to the car, changed all fluids and sorted a few bits that we had left uncompleted over the winter.
I'd never raced at Waikaraka before so was really looking forward to it too. A lot of cars turned up to get in a meeting prior to the NZ Champs there late January.
First heat I was off the rear of the grid which suited me fine to get dialed in, plus made a few passes later in the race.
Race two had 222 starting from grid one and I got away cleanly, car felt good so I pressed on. However turn three, lap three everything went pear shaped when the car just touched the cush, I was pushing a little too hard causing the car to lift up, bicycle and then land hard spearing the car into the steel pit gate. OUCH!
So although we were looking really good for a while that was our night done and dusted right there with 222 sustaining a lot of damage. I felt absolutely gutted for Steve and the whole Auckland crew that had joined us.
The team worked well to get the car mobile then we headed straight back to Autopro for damage assessment.
By the end of the weekend a huge amount of effort had gone in by a bunch of great people and 222 was virtually raceable again.
This is really wicked cos it means we can still participate in the Saloon Speedweek throughout the North Island between Christmas and New year.
Can't thank everyone enough for massive amount of work which went in over the course of the weekend.
Steve (sorry I wreaked mate), Chawfy and all the team at Autopro (blimmin' legends).
Next meeting is Boxing Day in Stratford for the first round of the Saloon Speedweek. I've never raced on five out of the six tracks we are about to face so certainly hope the wreaking thing doesn't follow me around.
Meantime hope you have a great christmas from all of the team at Nees Racing.

Woodford Glen, Vertex Super Cup Round 2 - 3 December 2016
Had Casey & Ian helping out for this weekend for round 2 of the Vertex Super Cup and this time at our home track here in Kaiapoi. Started the day with 5 cars on display as part of the Kaiapoi Carnival and Xmas Parade. That sparked up a lot of interest and the evening was gonna be huge cos the annual firweorks was re-scheduled for tonight as well.
811 started off okay actually finishing 7th in the first heat but we couldn't work out was going on with erratic corner entry. I put it down to incorrect pad compound after changing them mid-week. And I noticed a graunching noise which we just couldn't work out where it was coming from either.
Heat 2 and the night started heading downhill. I was still struggling with the weird feeling car but going okay and moving forward. However we had a tangle with another car which brought out the caution and I was sent to the rear. A real tough call cos the incident definitely wasn't my fault but anyhow took it on the chin and moved on.
Third heat had 811 off the outside of the front row, was determined to get the car turned in so wound on more rear brake. Turns out that was fatal because the car just went straight ahead and into the concrete causing a heap of suspension damage. Spent the duration of the fireworks display repairing the car for the 30 lap feature.
In this I dunno what the officials were thinking but they started the race without warning and with cars spread right around the track. We lost several places from the start and set about getting into a rhythm even though the car was wounded and not set-up well from the rushed repairs. Corner entry was still a problem but straight line speed was exceptional which enabled us to stay with the leaders albeit a lap down due to the weird race start.
So another lack lustre amount of points for 811 in the Vertex Super Cup and a car which needs plenty of titivating and spare parts replenished prior to the next meeting grrr!
Upon closer inspection on the wash pad on Sunday, the graunching I'd heard was the inboard brake rotor mount splines being ground away which left the car with virtually no rear brakes. And when I tuned more rear brake into the car for that heat three start all I was doing was removing brakes from the car completely hence the crash dammit!
Next meeting is Waikaraka Park in Auckland on the 17th to test the 222 Monaro before we head into the massive Valvoline Saloon Speedweek. Looking forward to this one.
Cheers ... Flash

Woodford Glen Speedway, Kaiapoi - 19 Nov 2016
Saturday night saw 811 and the team at the Glen where we raced a 3 heat deal to determine grids for a 25 lap feature. Was looking forward to this too cos we had a good grid draw starting the first heat from grid 4 right behind Richie.
My keenness soon dissipated at race start when the engine instantly struggled to develop power and wouldn't rev.
Back in the pits, the fix was easy with flushing out the main fuel filter. That will teach me for not sorting that over winter grrr.
Car was fine for the next two heats but the track cut up quite a bit. I just tried some different lines but our small car just doesn't like those sorts of conditions.
The 25 lap feature was a lot better for us and although we were starting from the rear we had a reasonable run. Even battled again with Fluffy for quite a few laps. 811 finished 8th overall and not a scratch on the car so reasonably happy with that result.
Wanna thank Casey, Steve, Rachel and Rosie for all their help over the weekend and at the track.
Next meeting for 811 is here at home for round 2 of the Vertex Super Cup on 3rd Dec. See ya's there.
I also wanna mention that the Rod McLaren Memorial was raced for at Riverside Speedway last night. Our good friend Graham Williamson fought hard and came away with the win. Real cool to see his name in the history books 11 years after we did the same thing, awesome stuff and well done team 21t.
Cheers ... Flash

Riverside Speedway Invercargill, Vertex Super Cup Round 1 plus Southland Super Saloon Champs - 4 & 5 Nov 2016
After a huge winter rebuild we made the trek down to X Factor Cars territory for our first race meeting for the season. This was always going to be somewhat risky as the car had not even been driven let alone raced since being re-assembled. The engine was fresh, the gearbox had been reconditioned and all the shocks were new but none of it had turned a wheel in anger. Quite a recipe for disaster but I was confident the team had done everything well and that the car would perform without major issues.
Friday night was round 1 of the Vertex Super Cup and having been a huge part of the organisation this year I was really pleased to see the event go so well. Glen & Casey made up the team for this weekend plus we had the assistance of Crazy Chris from X Factor Racing, thanks heaps team :)
811 performed okay actually but when I went to grid up for heat 2 the gear linkages jammed. Then in our attempts to move the car without the engine running I managed to strip the powersteer actuator splines in the steering column. So we missed starting a race which in this series is very costly poiints wise. It's gonna take a lot of good work to get those vital points back but I was very pleased that the steering failed in the pits and not on the track, that could have been disastrous! Thankfully we had a spare actuator and the gearbox issue was a simple fix too. I had merely left two split pins out from the gear selector rods. We continued on but never really got to grips with the track and suffered from lack of rear grip/side bite with the car being a little loose. However we finished all the races we started without any damage which was very pleasing.
In fact I was stoked that my gearbox rebuild was so successful as it's now better than it's ever been since we have owned the car :)
Saturday night was the annual Southland Super Saloon Champs plus fireworks. 22 of the best super saloon teams in the South Island on hand to contest this. Two 15 lap heats to determine grids for the 25 lap feature. I lost a couple of placings towards the end of the first heat cos the car was just still too loose and the track went slick real quickly. So we set about changing a few things and the second heat ended up being the highlight of our weekend. In this heat we had a great duel with Mark Grocott and actually managed to get the better of him to can a podium finish in third place. A lot of "high fives" after that heat and I was very pleased along with a lot of our southern supporters to finally get 811 performing at Riverside Speedway. This put us starting the feature from grid 8 and managed to finish 7th overall in the championship. What a great result for us all and it could have been a lot better had I not lost those first heat places. My aim is to finish top 10 wherever possible this season so "tick the box" target met in this one. Well done to local favourite Owen Dixon on taking out the championship, a very popular win.
It was great to catch up with team X Factor and we are very thankful for their hospitality and continued support.
Next meeting is Woodford Glen's BK weekend. See ya's all there.
Cheers ... Flash

Taipa Speedway, Saloon Showdown - Queens Birthday - June 2016
WOW ... what a fantastic weekend in the far north. Gotta thank Steve and Rachel for inviting me to race the G.A.S. Lewis Pass Monaro again. Can't thank you guys enough and what a blast we all had :)
Pam, Casey & I had the luxury of flying up this time round and the weather was great both days. The 222 Monaro ran faultlessly all weekend and completed a total of 18 races in 3 different classes. That's similar to running the car for 6 race meetings but crammed into only 2 days !!!
Wanna thank everyone for the warm welcome and make mention of Carole who loaned her Honda to Casey for the ladies races, great stuff.
I ran the 222 Monaro in the 6 heat Saloon Showdown. First heat off the front and shot away to an easy win really. The problem with that was the fact I hadn't actually raced against anyone and probably left me unaware of just how quick everyone was going. The rather narrow track made passing very difficult so when starting at the rear of the grid it seemed like you were locked into a freight train somehwhat. Albeit I still managed a few passes over the weekend and just wanna shout out to the track prep team, what a wicked surface of red clay to race on, great job everyone involved.
The only real issue I had was when I was leading heat 4 on the second day, we had changed the r/r tyre and it just didn't offer grip at all. The car was very loose and I should have shut up shop and cruised on the poleline. But no ... I just kept pushing and the car swapped ends in lap 3 spinning to a stop dammit. So back to the rear of the pack and set off again. This probably cost us the championship win but hey, when presented 2nd overall at the evening's prize giving we were all really stoked.
Casey also got a 3rd place prize for one of her heats which was a bloody great effort.
Thanks heaps to Steve, Rachel, Pam, Casey, Phil, Michael, Roger, Choffy, Debby, Steve 2, Roger 2 and anyone else who assisted us over the weekend that I have forgotten to mention. We will be back again next year for sure!
So that's it for this season and now we start the winter rebuild of 811. Steve and I also have some tentative plans for the 222 Monaro so "Watch this Space!"
Cheers for now ... Flash

GALLERY IMAGES HERE

Greenstone Park Speedway Greymouth, King of the Coast - 16 April 2016
Just when you think the season is done and dusted, I get an invite to drive the 222 saloon at the annual King of the Coast meeting. How could I pass that up? So we made the trek over with our transporter and the 222 Monaro owned by Steve and the Gas Lewis Pass team. Bit of a problem along the way when the trailer destroyed a wheel bearing dammit. That set us back a bit and we only just made it to the track and rushed the car out of the trailer for the first heat.
So here I am in a car I've never driven before and rushed out the pit gate for a championship heat LOL. Started from the rear of the grid and after a couple of laps once I got used to the handling got into it. Made my way up to 2nd but ran outta laps. Engine lost power on that last lap too and it appears a head gasket put pay to any chance of a championship placing. Bit of a shame too cos the way the car was going it sure looked like the car to beat on the day.
"That's Racing" but sick of hearing that so we are hopeful to get another run in the 222 Monaro in a few weeks time so "watch this space!"
Wanna thank Steve for the opportunity plus Dougal and Duncan for helping Casey with the crewing duties.
Cheers ... Flash

Cromwell Speedway - Easter Weekend - March 2016
Pam, Casey & I cruised down to Cromwell for their Easter Super Saloon Stampede weekend. Plus we wanted to spend time with the Williamson clan while showing our appreciation of the massive support we have received from X Factor Cars. We assisted the X Factor Racing crew by getting Graham's 21T Mustang sorted as it had a misfire problem. However I missed the set-up completely with 811. Our car suffered from lack of rear grip the whole weekend and I never really got going to the cars potential. I really need to get my head round how the changed rear end can affect the car and the set-ups I need to learn to sort it out. Anyhow the racing was quick all weekend and we came away without wrecking anything or needing a tow-truck yay!
Thanks to Crazy Chris for helping out on 811. Also wanna thank Nigel & Julie for looking after us and Scott for the golf at Tarras.
So that's the season done and dusted for Nees Racing and 811. Although the purchase of a new car for next season was being considered I am encouraged that we can continue to develop this chassis further. We will start on the winter rebuild now and look forward to improving on what we have. Also have a few more improvements I wanna incorporate into our transporter. It will be a busy off-season as usual in the workshop so feel free to call in for a chat, but ya just might get a job :) Plus keep a casual eye on the workshop page for updates over winter.
Cheers for now ... Flash

Woodford Glen, Battle of the Stocks - 19 March 2016
Tonight we were support class for the annual Battle of the Stocks at Woodford Glen. The Battle of the Stocks is the brainchild of the late Jeanette Bolt and has become a very popular event with both superstock racers and fans nationwide. So much so that there is often a waiting list for drivers who wish to compete in the event. Tonights date was also significant in that it would have been Dennis and Jeanette's 50th Wedding Anniversary so our thoughts were with Dennis and his family.
Casey and I were joined by Shannon and her partner Cam to assist with pitcrew duties for the evening. And I gotta say that they all had an easy job of it because just for a change there wasn't that much to do. I avoided tipping the car over and better still didn't need the use of a towtruck the entire night :)
First race leaving from grid 5 was held up for a few laps but eventually made the way to 3rd place but the leaders were well off into the distance so still pleased to come home with the 3rd. Car felt really good too which goes to show just how well the car was repaired in Napier after our huge roll.
Second race and 811 was starting from the rear of the grid. At about half race distance I just managed to avoid a turn 1 crash and worked my way up to 4th place. However the race was called before we got a chance to capatilise on our track position.
Last race of the night and we were leaving from grid 2 beside Fluffy. Managed to hang with him briefly but just couldn't get the car turning into turn 3 properly. It just kept understeering and Fluffy took off into the distance. Several of the cars had the same problem so although I struggled at that end of the track we still came home in 2nd to finish the night on a high.
Thanks heaps to Casey, Cam & Shannon for the help although not sure where you all were when washing 811 on Sunday morning?
Next meeting was to be Cromwell for Easter to defend our podium place in their club championship and to try our luck at the Stampede that we damn near won last season. However we have been denied a release from our home track Woodford Glen :(
So TBA at this stage.
Cheers for now and have a great Easter everyone ... Flash

Meanee Speedway - NZ Champs 11-12 March 2016
Dunno where to start with this write up cos it was an absolutely MASSIVE weekend. Firstly tho I would like to thank Pam for putting up with me going away again for yet another race meeting. This time for for 5 days and especially since she had to receive the dredded phone call from Casey informing of the roll-over plus put up with yet another earthquake while I was away.
Okay so this time it was NZ Champs time in Napier. I had never been to Meanee Speedway, let alone raced there so was looking forward to the event and had no expectations at all but to have fun and be part of the atmosphere that the NZ Championship meetings always provide.
Casey and I made the trek north and called in on family along the way albeit briefly before heading to Napier where nearly 40 drivers/teams had entered to contest the NZ Champs.
We met up with Steve, Eddy, Wayne and Phil at John (Jumbo) Berrymans where we crashed for the weekend, thanks heaps John.
Friday we spent a bit of time prepping for the nights qualifying. As I mentioned, there were no expectations but just wanted to enjoy the event. We were to be given a 4 lap practice but after many laps of wheel packing and 1 attempt to get underway before a car was into the wall, we were sent back into the pits. I lined up for another attempt to take in a practice but was denied. So that was the sum total of practice (one greasy lap) before being thrown into the arena of qualifying heats.
Heat 1: Off grid 6 and the car felt great with plenty of side bite from our new rear end panhard set-up. We have only just installed this and still a lot to learn with setting up the car and driving to get the most out of it. Managed to finish in 6th place albeit with the soon to be crowned 1NZ nipping at the heels of 811.
Heat 2: Started from grid 1 and it was immediately apparent that we had the car far too tight. Lost a couple of spots in the first 2 laps and 811 was just lifting the left front far too easily. Rather than back off and cruise I made the decision to drive harder to try inducing a bit of oversteer in the turns. This worked once but the second time 811 bicycled big time into turn 4 and then dug the R/F wheel into the dirt. This sent the car into a one and a half roll with a skyward pointing pirouette. Was informed later that I scored a 10 out of 10 for degree of difficulty. Was immediately interviewed on the infield before the race restarted and was informed I was smiling so all good! This crash out did nothing for our attempts to qualify tho and meant 811 missed out on any heat 3 points altogether. Not only that but Casey, Steve, Eddy and myself also missed viewing a lot of the other heats/groups while we replaced all the suspension, steering and wheels just to get 811 mobile enough to load into the trailer. Through the course of surveying the damage I was overwhelmed with the many offers of support to assist with getting 811 repaired the next day. It was great to see that camaraderie is still alive and well within the speedway community.
Saturday: We ventured off to Hastings and the KPH Transport workshop to meet up with Superstock racer Mike Groome. So thankful for organising the steam cleaner, wash bay and workshop for our use Mike. Awesome stuff! Casey took all the race gear off to launder due being oil soaked after the roll-over (no I didn't s#!t myself) LOL. Steve and Eddy proved to be invaluable and just got stuck into getting 811 stripped down and ascertaining what needed to be done. I was stoked to have more fellow racers turn up with parts and to help. Wayne Andrews and Phil Maitland joined us all and we spent the whole day repairing the car. Proparts had an aluminium radiator which Tony worked his welding magic on. So wrapt that it worked out mint too thanks Tony. Plus we replaced all the suspension that got destroyed, Steve even making some new componentry along the way. Wheels repaired, all new bodywork mounts made/repaired and bodywork including new spoiler fitted up. Radiator mounts, rear bumper, shocks, steering arms, track arms, top and bottom suspension arms, the list goes on and on. All sorted and 811 looking absolutely mint by late afternoon.
So off to the track we ventured, all of us were shattered and with virtually no spare parts left should we need any but all still smiling :) What an absolutely fantastic effort by everyone involved and I am so appreciative of all the assistance we got. It's amazing to have received the support we did when so far away from home and I am so thankful to everyone that gave up their saturday to help us out.
Finals Night: We knew we had a repechage to contest but leaving from the rear of the grid with a fully repaired car was always an unlikely success story (as opposed to last year when we qualified by winning from the front row). Casey and I took 811 out for the Grand Parade and it was very humbling to see the crowd, officials and other drivers/teams clapping and cheering for us and that 811 was back on track again. It is a feeling that Casey and I will never forget.
811 finished 4th in this repechage which showed all the hard yards had been well worth the effort cos the car felt really good. Just the driver needed a bit of sorting so it was the two non-qualifiers heats we were to contest for night.
Heat 1: Mid pack start and although we were involved in a bit of a bingle in turn 1 we still finished okay in around 5th place and still grinning from ear to ear.
Heat 2: And another mid-pack start but this time it appeared others were starting to struggle somewhat while we were still progressing with 811. I managed an outside pass on Trevor plus an inside pass on Kane and by race end we crossed the line in 3rd place. This resulted in 4th overall for the non-qualifiers championship which was a welcome result for everyone that put such a massive effort in earlier that day.
So very pleased that we have a car with a new lease of life. And although the race season is drawing to a close I am extremely encouraged again and want to continue this fun ride.
Thanks heaps to Meanee Speedway for such a fantastic event and track. Shout out to everyone that helped us to repair 811 and I appologise if I have missed anyone out.
Thanks to:
Mike & Tony of KPH Transport
John (Jumbo) Berryman
Wayne Andrews
Steve Templeton
Eddy Segessenman
Phil Maitland
Johnny Browne
and of course Casey for her hard work and dedication.
The weekend was a BLAST! Cheers ... Flash
Plus check out:
Square Photography's album (here)
Casey's video (here)
Petrolfume Productions video (here)

Woodford Glen, Elf Super Cup Final - 27 February 2016
We put 811 on display at Jagger & Co in Kaiapoi during the day before heading out to the Glen for the final round of the Elf Super Cup. It was great to finally be racing at our home track after so many continuous weekends away.
Been a busy week getting the car ready so a huge thanks to Glen and Steve. We have been working on making huge changes to the rear suspension so that we can get some more mid-corner grip. And after heading out for hot laps it was immediately obvious that we are on the right track. The car hooked up big time, so much so that I now need to re-learn how to set it up and drive it!
As for the racing on the night we decided to take it a little easy and just drive to finish. Was enjoyable to drive a very predictable car and we now need to look at gearing changes to start getting more from our new rear end set-up. Had a great dice in heat 2 with Josh Boulton and we challenged for his spot several times. Also had a great dice with Paddy North in the 25 lap feature. So we finished all three races for the night plus we didn't need a tow truck. Thats gotta be our best result for the season LOL. Thanks heaps to Glen, Steve, Casey and Pam for keeping the car going and looking awesome.
We are going to enjoy a well earned weekend off from racing next weekend due to no super saloons on the programme so our next event may be the NZ Champs in Napier if I can put a suitable deal together to get there and run.
Cheers ... Flash

Eastern States Speedway, Blenheim - Elf Super Cup - 20 February 2016
We made the trip up to Blenheim early to put 811 on display during the day before heading out to the track.
Had the pleasure of Graham from X Factor Cars joining Glen, Casey and I for this trip and it was hot, hot hot!
The track went slick quickly laying rubber down and a few grooves in turn 3-4 made that end of the track a little tricky.
Heat 1 was pleased to draw grid 2 but I missed the start and Kane got away. Only cars to pass were Richie and Burs so pleased to finish 4th in that company. Heat 2 finished 7th from grid 9 on a track that was basically a one lane affair. According to a few spectators the racing became a bit boring due to being somewhat of a procession. Due to the nature of the limited passing our loss of 2 placings in heat 1 really stiffled any chance of a good grid for the feature which left us leaving from grid 12 :(
Was looking forward to this feature cos we had the slick set-up which should have seen us easily in the top 10. However a big bingle in turn 3-4 wrecked any chance due to breaking our left rear suspension including a brand new shock we had just purchased dammit!
So ending the night with yet another tow truck ride and not a lot of points. Gotta find some luck soon I hope.
Thanks heaps to my team for all the efforts and to Graham for tagging along. A huge thanks also goes to Trish & Noel Noble for supplying the team accommodation at Aston Court Motel. Always a great place to stay! plus a shout out to Daryl Ainsley for supplying a few tyres for 811 too, thanks heaps Daryl.
Our next meeting is the final round of the Elf Super Cup next weekend and it's at Woodford Glen so no travelling away Yay!!!
See ya's there. Cheers ... Flash

Nelson Speedway - SI Super Saloon Champs - 13 February 2016
Was always looking forward to racing back at Nelson cos it's one of my favourite tracks. Tight, flat out fast and a real drivers track. Had the privilege of Steve helping Casey and I with set-ups for the night and supplying us accommodation thanks heaps :)
This was a two heat deal to determine grids for the 20 lap feature. Drew grid 4 for the first heat and we held good pace for this race with only one car making a pass on us after a tap had us sideways in town bend.
811 was starting second row from the back of grid for heat 2. Was always gonna be hard work but I stayed on the low line while most went high. Managed to make many passes including getting by 2nz Fluffy and 3nz Burs. Was also happy to avoid a back straight incident and stay out of trouble for the race with the only car making a pass on us being Burs mid race. This was very pleasing and even received a comment that it was the best ever drive they had seen from me in 811. The icing on the cake was that we had qualified 811 in 3rd= place overall. This put us off the second row of the grid for the 20 lap feature race for the South Island Champs. Awesome stuff !!!
This race was always gonna be tough and from the outset it appeared the boxing gloves had been put on. We became the meat in a sandwich on the back straight immediately costing us a couple of spots. From there onwards it was like a "tap to pass rule" had been instated with 811 nearly spun on a couple of occasions for a pass to be made on us. This was really dissappointing cos although Burs took off into the distance, the other cars were all of more similar speed. Plus any car that forged the pass on us only took our spot without progressing any futher up the field. The last of the hits destroyed the left front suspension on 811 and pushed us up on the back of another car forcing a dnf :(
Still ... to qualify 811 so well amongst the best of the south island cars is very encoraging indeed.
Congratulations to Burs on a well deserved win at his home track, plus Trevor and Kane on the remaining podium places.
Thanks heaps to Richie for the supply of used tyres too, very much appreciated.
Also forgot to thank Shane (ex Cox Racing) for the assistance at Cromwell last weekend. Feel free to call round home for a beer any Tues or Thurs evening Shane. You may get a job though LOL
Click the link below for Casey's videos of all races.
Next meeting is the Elf Super Cup in Blenheim next weekend. Not too much work to do aye Glen :)
See ya's all there. Cheers ... Flash

Cromwell Speedway - Waitangi Champs - 6 February 2016
Wanted to give 811 a decent run before the SI Champs next weekend and where better than Cromwell. Great hospitality and awesome weather as usual. Thanks to Mike at the X Factor Racing workshop for housing and washing 811.
After a slightly tentative start we had a good run in the first heat and came away with fastest lap time. It's great to see that 811 can still foot it against the local hot-shots but I just need to get some consistency into my racing. Well it wasn't to be at this meeting either when I drifted 811 into the marbles in the second heat while holding a solid 2nd place. Thought I could power out okay but just got sucked into the wall and nearly rolled (again). This resulted in another DNF and tow truck ride plus it tore up a whole bunch more gear, shocks, arms etc etc.
Replaced everything and ventured out in the third heat to end up in the concrete yet again dammit. Turns out I hadn't tightened a track arm bolt which fell out and launched 811 hard into the turn two wall, tow truck ride required!
I was determined to finish the 25 lap feature so replaced the front end (again) and ventured onto the track. Was awesome to be in the same feature race with our great buddy Graham Williamson in the 21t Mustang too. Well yes we finished the feature but it turned out the rear end on 811 was also damaged and bent badly which meant the diff was off-set too far in the car. Just couldn't race hard as she wouldn't handle so just had to cruise well off the pace to the checkered flag, dammit again. It seems that 811 is attracted to the concrete at present but lets hope we can get the right mojo going next weekend for the SI Champs in Nelson.
Cheers for now ... Flash

Riverside Speedway Invercargill - Elf Super Cup & Southland Champs - 30/31 January 2016
We were looking forward to this weekend and getting back into X Factor Cars territory plus it's always awesome to take in the southern hospitality. The weather was great and caused issues with track prep but we did everything we could to get 811 at it's best. We purchased a bunch of shocks from other teams and a huge thanks goes to Ray Stewart for supporting us by supplying a couple of new tyres too. Very humbling to see the camaraderie still exists within the class.
We nearly had a full crew with Glen & Casey making the trip down and meeting up with Steve in Invers. Thanks team for all the hard work as I couldn't do it without ya's.
The double header weekend was always gonna be tough but the track conditions made it extremely difficult for the Elf Super Cup round. Bad rutting right across and around the track saw the grader working overtime between races. 811 really struggled in the conditions compared to the big bodied cars. We finished all heats and finally got or points start but really not as competitive as we know we can be.
The Riverside team did a great job to sort the track for the second day but it was dry dry dry and very harsh on tyres. 811 used 6 tyres for the weekend and that appeared to be the same for many teams which equatted to well over $20,000 gone in tyre wear alone across the class (OUCH!)
Again we finished all the heats albeit with one riding the concrete across the finish line which wasn't ideal. Overall result was 9th in the Southland champs but we know 811 is far more capable than that :)
Gotta thank Scott, Kate & Graham Williamson for putting us up (or is that putting up with us?) and showing Casey the Invers nightlife :)
We decided to drop 811 off in Cromwell on the way home so we can travel back down for next weekends Waitangi Day Champs. Looking forward to stretching the legs and getting some real speed up around that wickedly fast track. See ya's there. Cheers ... Flash

Woodford Glen Remembrance Champs - Boxing Day 2015
This was my first meeting back after my medical event. Was hoping for a trouble free return with the car and hopefully not much work to do afterwards. How stupid that thought was!!!
Was running really well in 2nd place behind Richie in the first heat before being the victim of a three-wide skirmish which was never going to work. This destroyed our left front suspension and had us towed infield.
Heat two was also tow truck material after I pushed a little too hard at the start and brushed the turn one wall causing more suspension damage dammit!
I was determined to finish a race so put a huge effort into repairing what little was remaining of the front suspension. Got out and was running okay albeit with a wounded car and even made a couple of passes until for no reason the back was torn off the car by another driver. 811 finished the race but the excessive damage was really disappointing to say the least. Certainly hope that the unneccessary contact in this class is dealt with soon otherwise the situation is just going to get out of hand.
So there's a heap of work to do before our next meeting which will be a double header in Invercargill for the Elf Super Cup and the Southland Champs. Bring it on!!!
Cheers ... Flash

Woodford Glen Fireworks Extravaganza - 31 October 2015
We put 811 on display at the Woodford Glen Shop during the day. We sold our dye sublimation shirts and gave away lollies etc which all went down well.
However it turned out to be a tough night at on track in more ways than I could ever imagine.
The format was 3 heats to determine grids for 20 lap feature. Heat 1 and 811 received major body damage front rear and side when sandwiched by two cars. Managed to finish but it was all hands to the pump to get the car bashed into shape again. Thanks heaps to Dennis Bolt, Natasha Rodgers, Grant Dacombe, Steve Walls and anyone else I have failed to mention. Heat 2 was more hard work with ill handling car but scored points. Heat 3 we bent a track arm but was rewarded with 2nd place behind Richie. The car is proving to be extremely quick down the straights however I need to get the suspension tuned better to improve corner grip.
We were pleased to be gridded 6th overall for the feature and we were running as good as 4th but then I really started struggling and dropped back down the field finishing 8th and not feeling well at all.
I initially thought it was just a fitness/stamina issue but turns out I was having a heart attack before I even started the feature.
The result for me was admittance to hospital and emergency heart surgery to a clotted artery.
Now people may rubbish our public health system and the food provided etc but I hold all the surgeons, nurses and aides etc in very high regard as I received the best treatment. The food was great (far better than we have at work LOL) and in no time I was feeling heaps better.
I was home again only a few days after the operation and will make a full recovery. Now have a rehab plan in place to ensure we get back to work and also back behind the wheel of 811.
Providing everything goes to plan and the fitness is on target we should be racing on Boxing day at the Glen. This means we will miss the first 4 rounds of the Elf Super Cup but will be there to offer what little support I can :)
Would like to thank everyone for the calls, texts, messages, visits etc. It is very humbling and the support is great.
We have a lot of work to do on 811 however I'm not allowed to do any of it at present. So don't be surprised if I call on some of my contacts to help out LOL
On track photo credit ... Thanks to Brian Hopping of Mainland Photos

Woodford Glen Opening Night - 24 October 2015
Our first race meeting of the season was at Woodford Glen's trophy challenge. I spent the 3 prior days sleeping and not eating much due to some virus I picked up so still wasn't feeling at all well really, even lost 4kg in 3 days.
On the night it was just Casey and I doing all the crew duties too so it didn't take long before feeeling worn out.
A dozen cars fronted for the opening meeting and the first heat we left from grid 6 and I instantly had the helmet fog up and couldn't see a thing. Ended up last dammit after fighting with trying to clear the visor and avoid hitting anything, Ended up finishing at the rear, NOT a good start.
Heat 2 and we managed to finish 2nd behind Richie Taylor with 811 showing some serious speed on the straights, just need to get the drivers headspace around the cornering bit LOL.
The last heat was marred with a couple of crashes and restarts which we thankfully avoided starting from the rear of the grid. Finished 6th but after the first heat problem our chance of an overall podium for the night was gone :( Need to work on some tyres and mid corner grip now that we have a decent engine.
Gotta thank all our supporters and hopefully if this is the worst we go then we could be looking at an awesome season. Somehow I reckon things are gonna a whole lot tougher yet!
Next weekend is the annual fireworks extravaganza at the Glen so see ya's there. Cheers ... Flash

Central Motor Speedway Cromwell - Easter - 3rd & 5th April 2015
Pam & I were invited to stay with the X Factor Racing team for easter so off to Cromwell it was. The Central Motor Speedway Club put on a huge weekend with major events planned for Sprint Cars, Super Saloons & Saloons. They had club championships for all classes on the Friday plus the Super Saloon Stampede on the Sunday. And adding the combined points for the Super Saloons over both nights made a third event for us namely the Easter Championships.
Friday was warm and it was a 3 heat plus a feature deal for us. With only Pam & I on hand to sort any problems I was tending on the cautious side at least until I got into the drivers seat LOL. This was the last weekend of racing for 811 for the season so why take it easy?
Heat 1 and we drew grid 4. The first lap was a bit hairy but then things settled down and we were very pleased to sneak in a 2nd place finish behind 3nz Ian Burson. Heat 2 from grid 9 and finish 4th and man was that a fast fast fast race. Started from grid 4 in the last heat and was very pleased to finish 3rd. This put us starting the feature from grid 3 behind Osborne and Burs. The first few laps I tried real hard to get up alongside Ian but just couldn't make it stick. Settled in and finished 3rd which was a great result for the team after a really tough season. It was fantastic to get a podium result with 3rd overall in their club champs. The racing was clean, fast and most of all really enjoyable. No damage too so Pam & I had a relatively easy night too :)
Sunday we spent the day preparing 811 in the X Factor Racing workshop alongside Graham Williamson's 21t Mustang. We were very pleased to have the assistance of a few of their team to help us out too, thanks heaps guy's. Once at the track it was time to get the race face on and although I drew a rear grid for heat 1 this meant 811 would be starting the second heat from grid 1. Yes ... finally a decent grid draw! Tonights deal was similar to the Elf Super Cup rounds with two heats then a top 6 pole shuffle to determine grids for a 20 lap feature. The top three place getters in the feature would be awarded the Stampede trophies etc.
First heat and we took 811 from grid 12 to finish 7th. Not great but okay considering the level of competition. Second heat and I managed to get out to a bit of a lead but with a few laps to go I started making incar adjustments. This actually slowed progress and although we won the race it was very nearly thrown away with a fast catching Paul Wright having to settle for second. Yes again ... about time we had a race win! Thanks Sabrina for the video.
These results put us second overall behind Burs which was a great effort. In the pole shuffle however there was no stopping Darryl Ainsley on his home track. He won every challenge and took his rocket right through to start on grid 1 leaving us to settle for a grid 3 start with Burs leaving from grid 2. Race start and I was plaesed to have a slightly damp surface with the night getting cooler. So pleased that we managed to promptly get by both Darryl and Ian then start getting some real good fast laps in. At lap 12 we had a reasonable lead and the car felt good, so good that I have rarely felt as confident and at ease racing especially when in the lead all at the same time. However that was about to change when along the front straight the engine just let go and that was it ... race done! Only needed 8 more laps outta that engine and we would have not only won the Super Saloon Stampede but also the two day combined Easter Champs dammit! We ended up 3rd equal overall with Shane McIntyre but because we couldn't attend the run-off we ended up 4th. I was even more gutted when I found out the winner of the feature not only won the Stampede but also received $1000 for the effort DOH!!! But well done to all the winners over the weekend. We were stoked to have proven that we can not only compete alongside but also sometimes beat the best in the game. I want more LOL. Thanks again Sabrina for this video.
Gotta thank Kate & Graham Williamson of X Factor Cars for accommodating us over the weekend, plus Wentworth Carrying for getting us to Cromwell. And thanks heaps to our methanol man who has been awesome all season.
Keep an eye on the workshop page as we go through the engine strip down and diagnosis. Not looking forward to that bit at all :( Although we were always stripping down the engine after this meeting it would have been better had it not sustained damage or if it had to let go, why couldn't it have waited till crossing the line on lap 20?